Land the Job You Want with the Indeed Career Guide

We’ve all been there — lost in the shuffle of a job search. Sometimes we’re searching for our next role while employed in a position we’ve decided to leave. Other times we’re on the hunt while unemployed altogether, be it post graduation or after a position comes to an end. While one scenario usually proves more stressful than the other, many emotions accompany job search and we can find ourselves moving between being hopeful, fearful, anxious and enthusiastic.

More often than not, it’s a difficult place to be. Knowing where to begin, how to research positions and companies, and how best to present ourselves can be both challenging and stressful. So wouldn’t it be great if the world’s largest job site had an in-depth resource designed to help job seekers in their search for the right opportunity?

Now it does.

Here at Indeed we’ve consulted with career coaches, recruiters, hiring managers and surveyed job seekers about their greatest challenges to identify the most relevant advice that will help you succeed in today’s job market. We also took a close look at the data that highlights how people are successfully using Indeed to identify best practices. The result? The Indeed Career Guide — a new resource for job seekers from Indeed.

Here are just a few of the things we cover:

Hone your job research skills

Set yourself apart from the competition by researching a company in depth before you apply. You’ll get a better sense of whether the firm is right for you and uncover ways to customize your resume and cover letter. If you know what a company is looking for, you can better pinpoint the qualifications you have that match those expectations. One pro-tip is to use the Q&A section of Indeed Company Pages to ask questions of current and former employees. But you can do more — and we provide the details in The Complete Guide to Researching a Company.

To be or not to be (the author of a cover letter)?

Cover letters are time-consuming and sometimes it may feel that they’re an outdated part of the job search. Still, many career experts agree that sending one is invaluable. Writing a cover letter is your opportunity to showcase your story and, often, it’ll be a recruiter or hiring manager’s first impression of you. You can also take the opportunity to demonstrate your skillset and personality before an in-person interview (and this could increase your chances of landing an interview). Want to know more? It’s all in How to Write a Cover Letter.

Tackle interviews with confidence

Everything about an interview can vary by company. Formality, structure, and expectations may be significantly different from one firm to the next. While you’ve likely already done some preliminary research before you’ve gotten to the interview stage, you should now up the ante, learning everything you can about the culture, initiatives, and business model of the firm you’re going to interview at. This readiness will contribute to your confidence, and help you identify what you want to know and how to get answers. We dig into the details in Questions to Ask in an Interview.

The art and craft of the follow-up

So you’ve had your interview — now what? In the best case scenario, you’ll only need to send one follow-up, followed by good news in response. But what if you don’t get the job? Even then, a follow-up email is a great way to stay in touch and build your professional network. And if the hiring manager had a difficult decision to make between candidates, this could improve your chances of remaining top of mind when future opportunities within the company present themselves. Check out more approaches in Follow-Up Email Examples For After the Interview.

Perfect your job search techniques today

While the interview process can be frustrating at times, like any skill, you will get better with practice. And with practice comes confidence, aptitude and, ultimately, success. And we’re here to provide you with the most up-to-date advice and guidance all along the way.

Interested? Get started by diving into The Essential Job Search Guide, which summarizes our key findings. Then take some time to explore our full career guide, which outlines best practices for landing your dream job.